The monument to Boris Vasiliev in Solnechnogorsk stood in a bag: they tried to save it from destruction

A classic of Russian prose, Boris Vasiliev, author of the war stories “…And the Dawns Here Are Quiet” and “Not on the Lists,” was born on May 21, 1924 in Smolensk. This year marks the beginning of the biography of several front-line writers, and in fact, of an entire literary generation whose destinies were scorched by the war.

Anna Suchkova, one of the organizers of the Vasiliev Readings in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow Region, the city where Boris Lvovich lived for almost forty years, from 1974 to 2013, told MK how Russia will celebrate memorable dates.

– Anna, what names is associated with the coming year? What upcoming events can we talk about now?

– In addition to Vasiliev, the centenary of front-line writers Vladimir Bogomolov, Yuri Bondarev and Vasil Bykov will be celebrated. At the initiative of the Organizing Committee, the year will be proclaimed the Year of Lieutenant Prose.

– Who is on the Organizing Committee?

– The chairman there is Sergei Shargunov, in addition to him, the committee included Vladimir Grigoriev, Dmitry Bak, Maxim Zamshev, Mikhail Shvydkoy and others.

In total, about a hundred events will be held throughout Russia, as well as in Belarus – in libraries, universities and concert halls. They will definitely pay attention to front-line soldiers at the upcoming Red Square book festival.

– Will Vasiliev’s adopted son Peter come to the Vasiliev Readings?

– I already said once that he doesn’t like publicity, he spoke with us only once, when he read out excerpts from Boris Lvovich’s unpublished materials at a round table. But he always comes.

– Do I understand correctly that Peter has some unpublished texts by Boris Vasiliev?

– There are various entries, including diaries – the writer kept a detailed diary, but this is more of a personal story. But there is a work about Nestor Makhno, which Boris Vasiliev gave to one of his friends – the manuscript has not yet seen the light of day.

– When will the Readings take place in Solnechnogorsk and how will they differ from the events of previous years?

– We will accept applications from authors of research papers until February 2, and the final event will take place on March 23. Chairman Lydia Mayorova and I chose the following theme: “The Extraordinary Man and Writer Boris Vasiliev.” And the main innovation will be that Chinese students will take part in the readings for the first time, as recently announced by the Russian Embassy in China.

– What does the geography of participants usually look like?

– It’s been two years since we reached the all-Russian level: we have colleagues from twenty-one regions and Belarus participating.

– What significance did Solnechnogorsk play in Vasiliev’s fate?

– Boris Lvovich and his wife Zorya Albertovna spent the last decades there. They lived in a small house in the middle of the forest, in a very secluded place. And he was born in Smolensk, where, by the way, a festival is also held in honor of Vasiliev. Voronezh, where he studied, is also associated with the name of the writer.

– Are some Vasiliev events taking place there too?

– No, there is nothing in Voronezh. At least I’m not aware of any major events, but there is a commemorative plaque on the façade of local school number 28.

– Has Vasiliev’s house survived? Have you been there?

– Of course, it was. We were visiting Vasiliev and came after his death. There’s nothing wrong with the house.

– In the future, this location could become a place of literary pilgrimage, a new Yasnaya Polyana or Spassky-Lutovinov? From a logistics point of view, will it be possible to build convenient routes for tourists there?

– I think it doesn’t matter where the house is located – connoisseurs of Vasiliev’s work will come (if a museum opens there. – I.V.).

– Anna, in March MK wrote about the strange fate of the undiscovered monument to Vasiliev in Solnechnogorsk. As a result, the area around the monument was brought to order? Is the monument being looked after?

– The area around is still not landscaped. The monument was cracked even more, especially the pedestal. And at some point it was mothballed.

– What do you mean “preserved” – wrapped in otch, hidden in a case?

– First, they put a sack over his head – the locals joked: “What kind of hanged man is this?” Then the bag was removed. But everything remains as it was – look at the photographs, does this look like a place to perpetuate the memory of the great writer?